Down Dog Looks for Its Bone

Children go into down dog and peek between their legs looking for an imaginary bone, then crawl around sniffing. They stretch the back and legs and wake up the arms and shoulders.

How to play

1. Sitting in a circle, we tell how the puppy hid its bone and can't remember where (1 min).
2. Hands and feet on the floor, bottom up high: we're down dogs peeking between our legs to see if the bone is behind us (1 min).
3. Knees down, we crawl on all fours sniffing the floor all over the room (1 min).
4. When we hear «woof!», back to down dog and lift one back leg, then the other, like a dog shaking its paw (1 min).
5. One last walk, the dog finds its bone, picks it up with a pretend mouth and lies down to chew it calmly (2 min).

Rules

• Dogs walk slowly and watch where they're going.
• With your bottom up, knees can bend.
• When I hear «woof!», I make a down dog.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do dog standing with hands on a table or wall, stepping the feet back.
• Autism: the child has their own mat as a «doghouse» to return to anytime.
• Hearing impairment: pair «woof!» with holding up a dog picture card.

Learning goals

• Stretch the backs of the legs.
• Strengthen arms and shoulders.
• Move on all fours with control.

Teacher tip

Teach them to spread their fingers wide so their hands don't slip. Many put hands and feet too close together: mark the distance with two strips of tape if needed.

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